The following competition is not strictly a "county cup", but this seemed the most appropriate place to list it. It is an independent competition, which affiliates directly to the Football Association, in the same way as a League would; (in this respect, it is similar to the Capital Counties Feeder League Trophy, a/k/a Anagram Records Trophy). The original title of this competition when it was founded in March 1958 was the Southern Combination Amateur Challenge Cup Competition; the word "Amateur" was dropped in 1974. Whilst it is traditionally regarded as a 'lower key' First Team competition, boith Staines Town FC and Leatherhead FC have explicitly made it known that they will be treating it as a Reserve Team event. Old Hamptonians AFC does not have floodlights at its own ground, so any 'home' match will be hosted by their opponents.

Just a guess, but possibly tradition. This season there are 16 teams in it. There are usually more. It's possible that the last 16 of the competition has always been called round 2. The Surrey Senior Cup started at the second qualifying round for a number of years.

SeasonRoundHomeAwayNotes1960/11 RepHarrow TRedhill(31.3.61) - Redhill walkover?1961/21Wokingham TWingateWokingham won by 20th Apr 621974/51Frimley GrVirginia Wbefore May 751974/52Frimley G OR Virginia WAddlestoneAddlestone won before May 751977/81 *Aldershot SvcsHamptonHampton won 1977/82 *HamptonFarnborough THampton won1977/82Frimley GVirginia WFrimley Green won1977/8Semi *WimbledonHamptonHampton won1979/801Frimley GBAe WeybridgeFrimley won1982/31Frimley GLondon UnivLondon won (walkover?) by 14 Mar 831982/31Wokingham TChalfont St PChalfont won; 30.11.82 at Chalfont St Peter FC[* It is possible that these games were walkovers for Hampton, as neither club seems to have any record of them].

To answer the question about the naming of the rounds ... that I'm afraid was a suggestion of mine, Up to 1994/5, the 'round of 16' [what a horrid, foreign sounding phrase!] was always Round One or the First Round, and if there were more than 16 clubs, the one before would be the Preliminary Round. For the next three years, there were exactly 16 entrants, but when this figure rose to 20 teams for 1998/9, the AGM agreed that it was hard enough to 'sell' SCC ties to the paying public, without burdening them with the suffix "Preliminary Round", so the "round of 16" became Round 2, and if an earlier one was required it would be Round 1. Incidentally, the single Preliminary Round tie of 1994/5 was also the last SCCC tie to require a replay: Walton & Hersham 1 Epsom & Ewell 1 aet; Epsom & Ewell 6 Walton & Hersham 0. Penalties had been in the rules since 1979, but only if both clubs agreed and informed the ref beforehand; in 1995, they were made compulsory after any game drawn following extra time.

"To answer the question about the naming of the rounds ... that I'm afraid was a suggestion of mine, Up to 1994/5, the 'round of 16' [what a horrid, foreign sounding phrase!] was always Round One or the First Round, and if there were more than 16 clubs, the one before would be the Preliminary Round. For the next three years, there were exactly 16 entrants, but when this figure rose to 20 teams for 1998/9, the AGM agreed that it was hard enough to 'sell' SCC ties to the paying public, without burdening them with the suffix "Preliminary Round", so the "round of 16" became Round 2, and if an earlier one was required it would be Round 1."

Thanks to you and VP for the clarifications. I guess if the clubs, players and officials involved in the competition, and the fans who follow it, automatically think of Round 2 as being the last 16, then I can see it makes sense. Though from the outside it does look a bit barmy!!

Was their a floodlit version of this competition? I seem to recall Fleet Town winning something like this 2002 when I was involved with them, we beat some Chessington & Hook United, Sandhurst (both over two legs) then Met Police in the final

Was their a floodlit version of this competition? I seem to recall Fleet Town winning something like this 2002 when I was involved with them, we beat some Chessington & Hook United, Sandhurst (both over two legs) then Met Police in the final

I'm not being funny but Fleet enter every cup going so it can be confusing. Looking at their website they list themselves as winners of the Southern Counties Midweek Floodlit Cup in 1995 and 2002. That's a different competition. Thanks to Swanstuff for the list of previous winners. I can't add any details to the missing reults though.

There were a number of competitions founded with similar aims (which were, broadly, to give clubs with lights more opportunity to use them, at a time when most leagues didn't have more than about 16 clubs). The one most closely allied with the Southern Combination Challenge Cup was the Mithras Cup. I've done a bit of research into the Mithras Cup (but not in anything like as much detail as the SCCC), and have a list of winners from 1962/3 to 1979/80. I believe the competition was abandoned during the following campaign, and that Grays Athletic, as the last winners, still have the cup somewhere!

But there were, confusingly, at least two other competitions with very similar names. The information you gave me about Fleet Town ties in with a draw I had for the very last edition of that competition*. If the cup still resides there, perhaps you could take a peep at the engraving and list the past winners! Its history and even its title is complicated because it started as a LEAGUE - a competition for Surrey and Sussex clubs' Reserve teams, mostly ones who;d become disillusioned with the moribund Athenian League (Reserve Section) - in (probably) 1971/2. It came complete with a League Cup. Later, aspiring County League saides would enter the First Teams, and in the mid-70s a "senior floodlit cup" was launched, which did just as it said on the tin: it catered for the senior clubs in the competition who had lights. The addition of a 3rd Division by the Sussex County League in ~1983/4 decimated the league competition, but the floodlit cup struggled on for another 19 years. The full name by which this cup should be referred is: the SOUTHERN COUNTIES COMBINATION FOOTBALL LEAGUE MIDWEEK FLOODLIGHT COMPETITION, to which I would add the word 'CUP' before 'Competition' for clarity.

A third competition whose title appears to be simply "The Southern Combination Cup" was born out of a competition sponsored by Phillips (Lighting Division), in which the inaugural winners (Barton Rovers) received a set of floodlight. I vaguely remember this, but thought it was a 5-a-side event. Anyway, it later developed into a full-blown floodlit cup, sprouting both Senior and Reserve sections. It appears to have operated a little to the north of London, running at least for 3 seasons, but apparently coming to an end after Stotfold FC won both secions in 1995/6.

TBA Ashford Town (Middx) or Staines Lammas v Frimley Green Molesey v Sandhurst Town or Cove Old Hamptonians or Hanworth Villa v Feltham or Staines Town Westfield or Reading Town v Leatherhead or Chessington & Hook United

Many thanks for the missing results - I'd given up hope of ever finding those that that was a pleasant surprise.

Also good to see an old friend of Staines Town's - Simon Pentland - making his mark on history! Was "M Pentland" a brother? I also recall Roy's son Kevin Merryweather - notable for clearing several footballs out of the ground at Wheatsheaf Lane in an SCC tie in 1995!

Both These Games to be Played Monday 28th February according to MITOO. Some confusion as Hanworth Villa website says game v Staines Arranged for Tuesday 25th but in fixtures on same page says Villa Away to Badshot Lea in the League. Same bit where it says game on 25th says Badshot Lea arranged for 8th March. This was posted on 10th January. Best check before travelling.